Fastener



March 30, 1965 J. McMUgLEN FASTENER Filed April 23, 1963 viii H INVENTORLOU/.5 J. McMULLE/V B 9 AT RNEY United States Patent 3,175,266 FASTENERLouis J. McMullen, 1230 Ave. C, Apt. 3, Billings, Mont. Filed Apr. 23,1963, Ser. No. 274,993 Claims. (Cl. 24181) This invention relates to afastening device and particularly relates to an improved buckle foradjustably securing overlapping leather strap ends.

A principal objective of this invention is to provide an improved bucklerequiring substantially less material and 3,175,266 Patented Mar.30,1965

pairs of holes in the. billet end is, quite variable. The

fewer manufacturing operations in the making thereof as compared withcomparable buckles of the prior art.

Another important objective of the invention is to provide a strapfastening device having no loose pieces which can be lost or misplacedand having a main body section which is easily and quickly mounted to astrap end.

.A still further objective of the invention is to provide a strapsecuring buckle wherein one or more securing pins are juxtaposed atright angles to the straps being secured which effectively eliminatesmany of the destructive stresses developed in buckles known heretofore.

A still another objective of the invention is to provide a bucklewherein all major stresses are taken by the strap itself rather than bythe buckle. Further, the buckle secures the overlapping strap endstogether without any undesirable buckling.

More particularly, and as described herein, the invention relates to abuckle for joining saddle stirrup strapsan environment where simplicityof design, ease of mounting, and ease of adjustment are of primaryimportance.

These and other important objectives and advantages of the inventionwill be more fully understood upon a reading of the followingspecifications taken in view of the attached drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a buckle blank prior to bending operations;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective of the buckle after bending and mounted on astrap end;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view diagrammatically indicating the strapposition just prior to securement;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view showing another pin securing means;and

FIGURE 5 is a sectional View showing a still further pin securing means.

Referring now with more particularity to the drawings wherein likenumerals indicate like parts, the numeral 10 indicates a metallic blankfrom which the housing of the buckle may be formed. The housing afterproper bending operations is indicated by the numeral 12 and iscomprised basically of a bottom 14 and a top portion 16. The bottom 14and top 16 are joined by a pair of side members 18 and 20 which areformed with securing tabs 22 at either end thereof. The buckle body issecured to the end of a strap 24 by folding the tabs inwardly anddownwardly in the known manner. Extending upwardly from a medial portionof side members 13 and 20 are a pair of side walls 18 and 20'. Theextensions run beyond the upper edge of strap 24 and are connected toone another via top portion 16. It should be noted that the top portion16, after bending, has substantially one-half the length of the bottom14. The buckle body forms a loop 21 defined principally of the bottom14, the side walls 18' and 20', and top portion 16. The loop height isapproximately two belt thicknesses.

The strap end 24 is formed with a pair of longitudinal slots 30 and 32which run lengthwise of the strap and have a portion underlying the topportion 16. A pair of pins 34 and 36 are slidably received in the slotsand are necks or narrowest portions of slots 46 and 48 are spaced adistance permitting pins 34 and 36 to pass therethrough after a slightforce has been exerted. After the pins have passed through the neckportions, they are trapped between abutment fold 42 and the relativelysteep tapers S of the pin receiving recesses. Therefore, the gradualafter pins 34 and 36 have been inserted into the slots.

tapers T facilitate pin entrance and the steep tapers S hinder pinwithdrawal.

In summary, the strap 24 is formed with slots 30 and 32 and-the bucklebody 12 is secured thereto via tabs 22, It should be noted that pinlength is just slightly less than the distance between theinner surfaceof bottom 14 and top 16 but longer than thedistance between the innersurface of bottom 14 and the inner surface of the inward folds 42 and44. The billet end 58 of the strap is formed with a plurality of pairsof pin receiving apertures 60 along its longitudinal length which areadapted to receive the pins 34 and 36. In their first position the pinsare at the ends of their respective slots removed from top portion 16.When the billet end 58 is inserted within the buckle loop 21 it isarranged parallel to the bottom strap 24 after the desired pair ofapertures is opposing the securing pins. When the billet is arrangedparallel with strap 24, and the apertures 60 receive the selected pins,a further insertion movement of the billet (to the right as depicted inthe drawings) carries the pins into recesses 46 and 48 where they aresecured. Further movement to the right is prevented by the abutmentledge of inward fold 42. The pins are positively held between tapers Sand the ledge due to the natural resiliency in fingers 50, 52, 54 and56.

A further embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGURE 4 where the pinreceiving recesses are elimimatted and pins having a length slightlygreater than the distance between the bottom and top portions of theloop are substituted therefor.

As seen in FIGURE 4, this embodiment utilizes a lateral groove 62 acrossthe body having a length approximately the same length as the pin. Asthe pins are carried into the loop, the bottom and top portions areforced apart until the pins reach the groove 62.

A still further embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGURE 5 where atongue 63 is formed in bottom 14 having a boss 64 at its free end. Thetongue has a normal position shown in FIG. 5 but is biased to the dottedline position to permit the pin or pins to engage return fold 42. Afterthe pin has passed over the tongue, boss 64 maintains it against thereturn fold. The arrows in FIGURES 4 and 5 indicate the direction ofmovement of the pin as it approaches its respective stops.

In a general manner, while there has been disclosed an effective andefficient embodiment of the invention, it should be well understood thatthe invention is not limited to such an embodiment, as there might bechanges made in the arrangement, disposition, and form of the partswithout departing from the principle of the present invention ascomprehended within the scope of the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. A buckle for adjustably securing a first strap to a second strap,said first strap having an elongated slot formed therein and said secondstrap having a plurality of spaced apertures throughout the lengththereof, comprising a loop defining an opening theret-hrough to receivesaid first and second straps, said loop having a substantially fiatbottom and a substantially flat top parallel to said bottom,

means securing said first strap to said bottom so that an inner portionof said slot underlies said top and an outer portion of said slot doesnot underlie said p:

a pin slidably received in said slot and having a base inslidingsengagement with said bottom,

second means maintaining .said pin substantially normal to said top andbottom,

an abutment formed integral with-said top and disposed over said innerportion of said slot whereby, when one of said apertures is placed oversaid pin and said second strap is pulled through said loop in a firstdirection, movement of said second strap relative to said first strap isprevented when said pin engages said abutment, and

third means forming a part of said loop restraining movement of said pinin the opposite direction when said pin is in engagement with saidabutment.

2. The buckle described in claim 1 wherein said third means includes apair of resilient fingers defining a recess for receiving the upper endof said pin.

3. The buckle described in claim 1 wherein said third means includes aresilient boss formed of said loop and spaced longitudinally from saidabutment slightly more than one pin diameter.

4. The buckle described in claim 1 wherein said third means includes afirst inward fold on said top forming said abutment and said foldextends generally transverse to the longitudinal length of said slot anda second inward fold having a pair of resilient fingers defining arecess for receiving and guiding the upper end of said pin toward saidabutment.

5. The buckle described in claim 1 wherein said second means iscomprised of a flange at the lower end of said pin between said bottomand said first strap having a diameter greater than the width of saidslot.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 429,768 6/90Merritt 24-181 606,629 6/98 Lawrence 24-l8l 614,179 11/98 Perkins 24l8lDONLEY I. STOCKING, Primary Examiner.

1. A BUCKLE FOR ADJUSTABLY SECURING A FIRST STRAP TO A SECOND STRAP,SAID FIRST HAVING AN ELONGATED SLOT FORMED THEREIN AND SAID SECOND STRAPHAVING A PLURALITY OF SPACED APERTURES THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH THEREOF,COMPRISING A LOOP DEFINING AN OPENING THERETHROUGH TO RECEIVE SAID FIRSTAND SECOND STRAPS, SAID LOOP HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT BOTTOM AND ASUBSTANTIALLY FLAT TOP PARALLEL TO SAID BOTTOM, MEANS SECURING SAIDFIRST STRAP TO SAID BOTTOM SO THAT AN INNER PORTION OF SAID SLOTUNDERLIES SAID TOP AND AN OUTER PORTION OF SAID SLOT DOES NOT UNDERLIESAID TOP, A PIN SLIDABLY RECEIVED IN SAID SLOT AND HAVING A BASE INSLIDING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID BOTTOM, SECOND MEANS MAINTAINING SAID PINSUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO SAID TOP AND BOTTOM, AN ABUTMENT FORMED INTEGRALWITH SAID TOP AND DISPOSED OVER SAID INNER PORTION OF SAID SLOT WHEREBY,WHEN ONE OF SAID APERTURES IS PLACED OVER SAID PIN AND SAID SECOND STRAPIS PULLED THROUGH SAID LOOP IN A FIRST DIRECTION, MOVEMENT OF SAIDSECOND STRAP RELATIVE TO SAID FIRST STRAP IS PREVENTED WHEN SAID PINENGAGES SAID ABUTMENT, AND THIRD MEANS FORMING A PART OF LOOPRESTRAINING MOVEMENT OF SAID PIN IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION WHEN SAID PINIS IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ABUTMENT.